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16/8 intermittent fasting is one of the most common ways to fast. Proponents say it’s a simple, easy, and long-lasting way to lose weight and improve your health.
This article tells you how to do 16/8 intermittent fasting and if you should do it.
what do we mean by a 16/8 intermittent fasting?
To do 16/8 intermittent fasting, you can only eat and drink things with calories during a specific 8-hour window each day. You don’t eat anything for the last 16 hours, but you can still drink water and other drinks without calories, like plain coffee or tea.
You can do this cycle as often as you want, from once or twice a week to every day, depending on your preference.
People who want to lose weight and burn fat are becoming more and more interested in this method of fasting. People also think that 16/8 intermittent fasting helps control blood sugar and makes people live longer.
Other diets often have strict rules, but the 16/8 intermittent fasting plan is easy to follow and may help you lose weight with little change to your regular diet. It’s thought to be less strict and more flexible than many other diets, and it fits with most ways of living.
picking a time frame
To start, pick an 8-hour window when you can eat and only eat during that time.
Some standard 16/8 time windows are:
- 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Many people eat between noon and 8 p.m. because you only have to fast overnight and skip breakfast. However, you can still eat a balanced lunch, dinner, and a few snacks during the day.
Others choose to eat between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., giving them plenty of time for a healthy breakfast around 9 a.m. and a light, early dinner at 4:30 p.m. before starting their fast.
But you can try different times and choose the one that works best for you.
Setting timers at the start and end of your eating window may help you remember when to start and stop eating.
foods list and meal plan for a 16/8 intermittent fasting
To get the most health benefits from what you eat, it’s important to stick to whole, nutritious foods and drinks.
Filling up on foods high in nutrients helps your diet be more balanced and helps you stay at a healthy weight. Try eating a wide range of whole foods at each meal, such as:
- Apples, bananas, berries, oranges, peaches, pears, tomatoes, and so on are all types of fruits.
- Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumbers, leafy greens, etc., are all examples of vegetables.
- Whole grains include barley, buckwheat, quinoa, rice, and oats.
- Olive oil and avocados are healthy fats.
- Eggs, fish, beans, meat, poultry, nuts, seeds, etc., are all good protein sources.
Even when you’re fasting, drinking calorie-free drinks like water, unsweetened tea, and coffee can help you control your hunger and stay hydrated.
It’s best to avoid overly processed foods, like packaged snacks, deep-fried foods, sugary drinks, and most frozen meals. These can cancel out the benefits of 16:8 intermittent fasting and hurt your health.
benefits of 16/8 intermittent fasting
One of the best things about 16/8 intermittent fasting is that it is easy to do. It can help you spend less time and money each week cooking and preparing food.
Here are some of its benefits:
More people lost weight
Limiting the time you can eat to a few hours a day can help you eat fewer calories throughout the day, which may help you lose weight.
Studies show that fasting may help you lose weight.
For example, one review found that people in 11 of 13 intermittent fasting studies lost weight statistically significantly. (1)
Better control of blood sugar
Intermittent fasting has been shown to lower insulin and blood sugar levels in the morning, making you less likely to get diabetes. (2)
Under the care of a doctor, if you have type 2 diabetes, intermittent fasting may be a good way to treat it.
Longer life span
Few studies have been done on humans, but some studies on animals show that intermittent fasting may make people live longer.
People think fasting changes your metabolic pathways, makes you more sensitive to insulin and makes you act differently. But we don’t fully understand how these mechanisms work. (3)
Cons of the 16/8 intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting for 16 hours out of eight has some health benefits, but it also has some drawbacks and may not be right for everyone.
Make sure to start fasting slowly; if you have any worries or bad feelings, you might want to stop or talk to your doctor.
Overeating and the chance of getting fat
If you only eat for 8 hours a day, some people may try to make up for the time they went without food by eating more when they did eat. This could cause you to gain weight, have stomach problems, and eat badly.
Surprisingly, research shows that intermittent fasting doesn’t help you lose weight any more than regular diets that tell you to cut calories overall. Both ways of eating might help you lose a little bit of weight.
If losing weight is your main goal, you may want to lower your calorie intake instead of intermittent fasting. It is advised to avoid overeating, which can happen when you only eat during a certain time window.
Symptoms that only last a short time
When you first start 16/8 intermittent fasting, you might feel hungry, weak, and tired for a short time. However, these side effects usually disappear once you get into a routine.
Changes in hormones and the menstrual cycle
Some animal research shows that intermittent fasting may cause changes in hormones and cause people to eat too little. These changes could worsen their periods and fertility if a person has ovaries.
But most of the studies are old and were done on animals. We must study people to understand how intermittent fasting affects reproductive healthfully.
Also, intermittent fasting may affect people who have gone through menopause. Changes during menopause can make insulin less effective and cause weight gain. Intermittent fasting may help improve these effects.
Is 16/8 intermittent fasting a good choice for you?
16/8 intermittent fasting can be a safe, easy, and sustainable way to improve your health if combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle.
But it shouldn’t be considered a replacement for a healthy diet full of whole foods. Even if you don’t do intermittent fasting, you can still be beneficial.
Even though 16/8 intermittent fasting is usually safe for adults in good health, you should talk to your doctor if you have any health problems. This is very important if you take any medicines or have diabetes, low blood pressure, or a history of eating disorders.
If you are trying to get pregnant or are nursing, you shouldn’t do intermittent fasting either.
You should talk to your doctor if you have any worries or side effects while fasting.
syktohealth conclusion
In 16/8 intermittent fasting, you only eat during an 8-hour window each day and don’t eat for the other 16 hours.
It might help you lose weight, keep your blood sugar in check, and live longer.
Still, it’s important to eat healthily when you’re not fasting and to drink calorie-free drinks like water or unsweetened teas and coffee.
Before trying intermittent fasting, it’s best to talk to your doctor, especially if you have any health problems.
Today, try this: If you want to try 16/8 intermittent fasting and have no health problems, try it 1–2 days a week at first.
Choose when you want to eat and when you want to stop eating. For example, you could choose to fast until noon every day and stop eating at 8 p.m. After a few days, pay attention to how hungry you are, how you feel, and how much energy you have. Then, decide what you want to do.
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Ali Webster is a seasoned researcher, communicator, and Registered Dietitian with a diverse background encompassing government, nonprofits, academia, and health care. The core belief is that science should be made accessible, understandable, and relevant to all individuals, driving the motivation behind their work. Proficient in conducting and interpreting research to shape nutrition policy decisions, the individual also excels in nutrition and health communication, consumer research survey development and implementation, and clinical nutrition. Holding a Doctorate of Philosophy with a focus on Nutrition and Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota, their dietetic internship emphasized medical nutrition therapy.